Unexpected Family
by MaeradElednor
Summary: After the defeat of Voldemort, Harry goes back to Hogwarts to make up the year he skipped. During this year, he finds out that there are still important secrets that are being kept from him, especially that of his parents. Also, a band of regenade death eaters who are out to find the Boy Who Lived, and take him down.
1. Prologue

__Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter World, nor am I J.K. Rowling. Most of this chapter is quoted from the last few chapters of _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_, since my story starts there.

_Unexpected Family_

_Prologue_

Voldemort's chest rose and fell rapidly, and Harry could feel the curse coming, feel it building inside the wand pointed at his face.

"The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy."

Blank shock showed in Voldemort's face for a moment, but then it was gone.

"But what does it matter?" he said softly, "Even if you are right, Potter, it makes no difference to you and me. You no longer have the phoenix wand: We duel on skill alone…and after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy…"

"But you're too late," said Harry, "You've missed your chance. I got there first. I overpowered Draco weeks ago. I took this wand from him."

Harry twitched the hawthorn wand, and he felt the eyes of everyone in the hall upon it. He quickly took in the many people watching, his eyes resting on a man and woman standing in the crowd behind Voldemort. The young woman's dark blonde hair was tousled, her cool blue eyes filled with concern and sadness. Harry was suddenly reminded of his mother, Lily. The man standing beside her was adorned with a black cloak. The hood shadowed his features, but as Harry watched him, he lifted his head and the growing morning light flitted through the deep cowl. Harry inwardly gasped. Golden eyes glanced up to meet his own. Like the young woman beside him, there was unfathomable pain in his gaze and Harry wondered what could make him hurt so much. Then Voldemort paced between them, breaking the man's stare. Only a few moments had passed. Harry shook himself out of his thoughts and focused his gaze back on his enemy.

"So it all comes to this, doesn't it?" whispered Harry, his head shaking, "Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does… I am the true master of the Elder Wand."

A red glow burst suddenly across the enchanted sky above them as an edge of dazzling sun appeared over the sill of the nearest window. The light hit both of their faces at the same time; so that Voldemort's was a flaming blur and the shadowed man and woman behind him suddenly was revealed to Harry and he gasped. The man's eyes now shone a deep black and the woman's hair had changed to a flaming red. The Boy Who Lived blinked in shock and as quickly as it had come, the vision was gone, the black eyes and red hair back to their original colors. Then he heard Voldemort's high voice shriek and Harry too yelled his best hope to the heavens, pointing Draco's wand:

_"Avada Kedavra!"_

_ "Expelliarmus!"_

The bang was like a cannon blast, and the golden flames that erupted between them, at the dead center of the circle they had been treading, marking the point where the spells collided. Harry watched Voldemort's green jet meet his own spell, saw the Elder Wand fly high, dark against the sunrise, spinning across the enchanted ceiling like the head of Nagini, spinning through the air toward the master it would not kill, who had come to take full possession of it at last. And Harry, with the unerring skill of the Seeker, caught the wand in his free hand as Voldemort fell backward, arms splayed, the slit pupils of the scarlet eyes rolling. Tom Riddle hit the floor with a mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hands empty, the snakelike face vacant an unknowing. Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse, and Harry stood with two wands in his hands, staring down at his former enemy.

One shivering moment of silence, the shock of the moment suspended: and then the tumult broke around Harry as the screams and the cheers and the roars of the watchers rent the air. He looked up in alarm, trying to find the hooded man again, but the pressing crowd obscured him and his blonde haired companion from view. Harry unsuccessfully looked around for a moment or two before giving his full attention to his friends. The fierce new sun dazzled the windows as the crowd descended on their hero, their cries deafening.

The golden eyed man didn't move from the wall he was leaning on, just observed the relief and joy almost palpable in the air. Harry had stopped looking for him and he was grateful for that. His eyes lowered, their dark depths staring intently at a crack on the stone floor, his ebony hair obscuring his face. The Dark Lord was gone but he barely cared. That would not make his mother come back. He quickly blinked away tears, not wanting to show his inner feelings. The sun was now fully raised and he blinked in the glare of the light to look once more at the Boy Who Lived. The black haired hero's eyes sparkled with weariness as he embraced his two closest friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and a sad smile graced the cloaked man's lips. He nodded his respects to Harry, who didn't notice him, and then turned to scan the crowd, looking for his companion. He found her fighting her way through the lively crowd towards him, her blonde hair whipping behind her. She caught his eyes and he saw the same sadness touch her own eyes. He straightened as she approached.

"Zach, we need to go," she whispered when she reached him, "Where's Lyra?"

Zach shook his head in dismissal. "She's already there." He sighed deeply and added, "I presume the plan worked? Is he okay?"

The woman nodded and he turned his gaze back to Harry, a curious look on his face.

She followed his eyes and smiled knowingly, "He'll know soon enough, Zach. It's been kept from him long enough."

Zach turned back to her and nodded in agreement, "I'm not worried about _that_, I'm worried about how he'll react. _Everything_ will change, Lav." His eyes searched hers and she sighed.

"No use worrying about things that are inevitable. Remember our plan." She held out her hand, gesturing for him to give her something.

Her companion nodded, his eyes again serious, as he produced another cloak identical to his from inside his billowing sleeve. She took it quickly and, making sure no one was watching them, slipped it on, hooding her fair hair. A silent conversation happened between them as their eyes, azure and golden, met again.

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Only one person noticed the two cloaked figures leave the Great Hall. Green eyes shining with curiosity, Harry Potter followed their movements, wondering who the two were. They were familiar and he was sure he'd seen them somewhere before. Now as they walked away, he noticed a slight limp in the man's stride. The man must have fought in the battle, he thought, that's why he's here. But that didn't stop Harry from longing to follow them, feeling an unknown pull to their mysterious manner. That wouldn't happen, he mused, as the crowd pressed up to him. He could not hear a word anyone was shouting, nor tell whose hands were seizing him, pulling him, trying to hug some part of him, hundreds of them pressing in, all of them determined to teach the Boy Who Lived. Harry reluctantly put the man and woman out of his mind and allowed himself to be carried away in the joy of the moment.

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**Hope you all liked it. I shall be putting up the next chapter in a week. I'm expecting this to be many chapters but I'm not sure how many yet. You'll figure out who Zach and Lav are soon, and why they're so familiar. **

**Please review! I love your feedback. And you might just influence how this story will play out.  
**


	2. Rebuilding

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

_Unexpected Family_

_Chapter 1_

_Rebuilding_

Harry nodded his respects to his former mentor, Albus Dumbledore. The previous headmaster's tomb had just been resealed, a final closing, Harry thought, to the war against Voldemort. It was also the end of the Elder Wand, which now would lie beside its old master forever, not to be disturbed again. Harry's phoenix wand was held loosely in his hand, the Elder Wand's last spell it would ever have to perform. It was better that way.

It had been two days since Lord Voldemort's final defeat. The Ministry of Magic still didn't believe that the war was at its end. The new Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt, tried to keep order, but that was nearly impossible with thousands of wizards and witches celebrating the Dark Lord's death…and congratulating the Boy Who Lived. Harry wished that they wouldn't admire him so much; there were so many others who helped to defeat Voldemort as well. They just didn't seem to see that.

As he walked up the ground to Hogwart's Castle, the quiet faded as sounds of rebuilding filled the air. Minerva McGonagall, now the Headmistress had decided to repair the school in time for the next term, so as to bring things back to normal again and to calm the overall public. As far as Harry could see, the school would be finished come September.

A shadow fell over him and he resisted the urge to jump as an owl swooped down and hovered at his eye level. It was a small own, with brown and tan markings and in its sharp beak, it held a letter. Harry accepted the parchment and dismissed the owl. He took one look at the small slanted writing on the envelope and knew immediately who had wrote to him. He opened it quickly and read through the short note:

_Mr. Potter,_

_At eight o'clock this evening, I would like you to come to my office._

_There are important matters to be discussed about your future, since you no longer have to worry about Voldemort. _

_I'd advise you not to be late._

_~Headmistress Minerva McGonagall_

Harry smiled. He had been wondering when McGonagall would ask to speak with him. She was almost family to him and he knew that she would ask about his future plans. Maybe he could also ask her about the mysterious hooded man who he still was curious about. Harry had tried to look for the golden eyed man but he had simply disappeared. It wasn't likely that McGonagall knew about the man, but it couldn't hurt to ask. He looked up at the sun, guessing it to be around noon and resumed his walk into the school. The Great Hall was halfway filled with people, many of them there to help with the school's repairs. Harry nodded to the Weasleys who were all present and were sitting at what once was the Gryffindor table, eating a quick lunch. Most of the professors were seated at the main table at the head of the Hall, but Harry found his eyes drifting to the empty seat that once was occupied by the former Potions professor, Severus Snape, but he shook himself and his gaze moved to the center of the table, where the Headmistress sat. He nodded to her to show that he had received her message. Then he walked over to the far end of the Gryffindor table, where Ron and Hermione were sitting.

The three friends didn't talk as they ate; just sat in a companionable silence, each more matured by the events they had endured together. Harry ate slowly, his mind elsewhere. What _would_ he do, now that Voldemort was gone for good? He remembered his earlier decision to become an auror and realized that that ambition still stood. Hermione broke the silence first, gesturing to the forgotten note in Harry's hand.

"What's that, Harry?"

He looked up, surprised to find that he was still holding the small piece of parchment. "Oh, Prof- Headmistress McGonagall asked for me to come to her office this evening, said she wanted to speak to me."

"As long as she doesn't ask you to be the Minister of Magic, I'll be fine." Ron chuckled, "You'd definitely get enough votes." Hermione laughed and a smile quirked Harry's lips. They continued their conversation, the mood considerably lightened as they allowed themselves a break from their worries.

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Precisely at eight pm, Harry found himself standing at the stone gargoyle, the entrance to the Headmaster's office. He sighed, remembering all the times he had stood here. He merely waited for the way to open before walking calmly up the spiraling stairs, questions and memories fluttering like birds through his mind.

The office itself was exactly the same; no damage had been done to it in the battle. The many pictures caused a commotion as they talked and moved around between the different frames. Right over the main desk, in the center of the room, the portrait of Dumbledore winked and smiled reassuringly at Harry and he couldn't help but smile back at his mentor. Then his eyes wandered around the room, wondering what the new Headmistress had added into the room. Surprisingly, many of Dumbledore's trinkets and books hadn't been touched, even the pensieve with its many memories swirling in its waters. Finishing his scan of the room, Harry turned back to the desk, and to the woman sitting silently at it, busy checking important papers. She glanced up at him and pushed her papers aside.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, good of you to come." By the seriousness in her tone, Harry at first thought that she was angry at him but relaxed when her face softened into a half smile. She motioned for him to sit in one of the armchairs facing the desk and he obeyed, remembering the many times he had sat in the same place, listening to Dumbledore speak. He cleared his throat.

"It's just Harry, Headmistress McGonagall." Her eyebrow rose in amusement but her smile didn't fade.

"Well then, _Harry_, you do know why you're here?"

Harry answered without hesitation, "You wanted to know my plans for my future now that Voldemort's gone, and what my career will be."

"You're right…to a point." Minerva rummaged through her papers and selected what looked like an official letter, holding it out to him, "The Ministry sent this for you."

Harry read quickly through the letter, his eyes widening in shock. The letter expressed the Ministry's gratitude for his defeat of You-Know-Who but that wasn't what shocked him. He looked up at the Headmistress and seeing her knowing look, voiced his surprise,

"They are…giving me a job…as an auror!"

Minerva smiled, "That _is _the job you wanted, isn't it?"

"Yes…but what about my education…I never finished school!"

The Headmistress nodded, understanding his confusion. "They have offered to overlook that for you."

Harry looked back down at the document, then stood up and strode over to the pensieve at the back of the office, watching the silvery strands swirl slowly in the basin. His face was twisted, the decision weighing heavily on him. He stayed that way for what seemed like a long time.

When he finally looked up, his face set, Minerva knew exactly what he was going to say.

"I accept." She nodded approvingly. No one in their right mind would turn down such an opportunity. But she knew he hadn't finished yet. Harry thought for a moment more before returning to his seat, sinking into it slowly.

"I accept, but," He held up a finger to punctuate his words, "if I'm going to be an auror, I'm going to do it the right way. And if that means going to Hogwarts for another term, then I'd be glad to." Harry's eyes revealed his determination to just be like a regular young man, not the hero that he was. Minerva knew this was a big decision for him.

"Are you sure, Harry?"

"I'm sure." He said this without hesitation and she nodded thoughtfully. It might be helpful for him to make up his year of studies that he had missed, even if that put him behind the kids in his year that had already learned it. His decision to stay also mirrored Hermione Granger's who also wouldn't hear of skipping a year of school.

Harry looked at Minerva expectantly. She definitely had more on her mind than just the Ministry's offer. He wondered if it was the right time to ask about the mysterious man he had seen two days previously, but decided to save the inquiry for later. "Am I dismissed, Headmistress?"

Minerva had opened her mouth to answer him, when there was a knock at the door. Harry turned in his seat. Who was it? And what was important enough to interrupt a meeting?

The Headmistress unlocked the door with a wave of her hand and a tall man walked purposely in, the door closing behind him.

"Minerva, you called for me? I apologize for not coming earli-" He stopped abruptly, noticing Harry for the first time. Harry looked back at him in disbelief. The man's soft but firm voice had reminded him of Severus Snape and for a second, he thought it had been him.

But now he could see the differences. This man was younger, maybe around 18 or 19 years of age. He carried himself like Snape, but lacked the menace the older man effortlessly had. His black hair looked soft and silky—not greasy—and his nose was straight, not hooked. The man's dark eyebrows arched elegantly and his skin was light, though not sickly-looking. Flowing, emerald green robes swirled around him in the light breeze he had created when he had halted, looking at Harry with just as much surprise as Harry himself felt. At least, that was until Harry looked at his eyes.

Framed by dark lashes, the man's dark golden eyes stared into Harry's green ones. Harry felt a jolt of shock as he suddenly recognized the wizard in front of him. It was the man who Harry had wondered about, the one who had mysteriously disappeared just minutes after Voldemort's death, the one who had seemed very familiar. The one man who had not rejoiced in the end of the war.

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**Just to warn all of you that are going to follow this story, since I am still working on this story and have only finished a few chapters, there might be huge gaps between uploads because I get writer's block easily. I shall try to do as much as I can during the time I have between blocks. I will also try to answer reviews:  
**

**_Franv_~ Zach and Lav are OCs, actually I had forgotten about those two characters that you pointed out. Yeah, but Zach, as you can see if you have read this, has already shown up, and Lav is not far behind. They are very important characters, along with Lyra, who is mentioned briefly.  
**

**_Anthony37_~ Good guess but James and Lily aren't going to make an appearance in this story. Granted, both will be mentioned and Lily definitely plays a big role but both are dead. Instead, there is a twist in the story about who Harry's father really is.  
**

**Hope you guys all liked this and if you have any suggestions or find any errors, please tell me!  
**


	3. The Man in the Emerald Robes

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the fantastic world that he lives in.**

****Unexpected Family

_Chapter 2_

_The Man in the Emerald Robes_

Minerva was the first one to break the silence. "Harry, I would like you to meet my grandson, Zachary Tobias. He will be the new Potions assistant for Horace Slughorn." Harry broke his stare with the golden eyed man to glance at Minerva. She had stopped smiling but her eyes still twinkled with amusement as she looked between the two young men. Harry raised his eyebrow; there was something the Headmistress was keeping from him.

She then turned her gaze to her grandson, "Zachary, I'm glad you came at such short notice, albeit at little late. We have important things to discuss. Sit down." When Zachary hesitated, she looked at his disapprovingly and waved her hand at him, "Sit down! Harry's not going to bite you."

Zachary nodded but made no move to sit in the empty armchair next to Harry. Instead, he chose to stand in front of the Headmistress' desk, a little to the side of Harry but still in his line of vision. A troubled look had come over his face, almost as if he was uneasy, "Perhaps now is not a good time, Minerva. We are not ready for it." His voice was soft; Harry had to strain his ears to hear it.

Minerva's eyebrows furrowed, "We talked about this, Zachary. You aren't getting cold feet, are you?" Harry looked between the two, confused. What are they talking about? And what is Zachary reluctant to say?

Zachary's eyes narrowed, "What I mean, Minerva, is that it might be better to wait until Lav gets here. She would be angry if you went on without her." The Headmistress' grey eyes also narrowed but Harry could tell she was wavering on whatever their argument was about. Zachary's golden eyes held hers in a battle of wills.

Finally, Minerva sighed in resignation, "Very well." She turned to Harry, "You are free to leave, Harry. I need to speak with my grandson alone." She shot a pointed look at Zachary.

Harry nodded and slowly stood, his eyes on the man in the corner. Zachary's eyes glanced up to meet Harry's but they quickly looked away, as if they were hiding something secret in their depths. The door opened for Harry and he found himself standing out at the top of the spiral staircase, wondering what had just happened. He walked down the stairs in a daze and when he was outside by the statue of the gargoyle, he leaned against the wall, sliding down it until he reached the floor. His thoughts swirled through his head and he found himself even more curious about the Headmistress' grandson. Who was this Zach? And why was he so familiar?

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Harry was so lost in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice when the gargoyle statue creaked open and Zachary strode out. He didn't seem to notice Harry as he walked past, his steps ringing down the hallway. Harry let out the breath he was holding and stood up slowly, deciding to follow the man. He hurried to catch up to Zachary's fast gait, while keeping far enough away from him. Zachary's robes floated behind him as he turned a corner into another hallway and Harry quickly followed. He rounded the corner, only to find no one there. Zachary had disappeared.

Harry cursed. The man must have known about the many secret passageways hidden throughout the school. Harry himself only knew a few of them by heart, the rest he could find only by using the Marauders' map. The map, which he had left in the room that he was staying in, would have been very helpful if he had brought it. He cursed again and turned away, going through the opposite hallway instead, this time to his room. The sun had set already and the halls were lit by torches and ever-burning lanterns. Shadows that normally were small had grown in the limited light and were reaching out toward Harry.

Deep in thought, Harry found himself almost unconsciously walking toward the Gryffindor wing but stopped himself. He wouldn't be staying in the Gryffindor house dormitory anymore because he didn't want any disturbances from the other children and families staying there. Headmistress McGonagall had invited him to sleep in the guest wing and he had taken up her offer. Hermione and Ron had agreed with him and had asked for the rooms near his. They had grown so used to living near each other, that it was strange to be split up into different rooms. Harry found himself missing the close comfort of his friends. He sighed and opened his room's doors, immediately trudging toward the bathroom. He quickly got ready for sleep and when he went to brush his teeth, he glanced at the mirror. His own reflection stared back and Harry smiled at the familiar figure- the green eyes, the tousled black hair, the lightning scar. Those things at least had stayed the same in his ever-changing life.

He didn't realize how tired he was until his head touched his pillow. With his eyes threatening to close, Harry made a valiant effort to stay awake and think about what to do about Zachary. It was a losing battle but after a few moments, Harry's sleep-blurred eyes light up as an idea formed in his mind. He knew it would work; it had worked before, and he decided to wait a few days before acting on it. He smiled despite himself. Finally, he would know who Zachary is and why he's so familiar. That night, Harry fell asleep with a purpose in his mind and a smile curving his lips.

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**Sorry about this being a short chapter but the next chapter will make up for this. This chapter is more of a filler chapter, one where not much happens but I needed Harry to learn a little about Zachary and also learn that Zac is hiding something. **

**Please review! I'd like to know if there are any typos or suggestions that you all have.  
**

**Next: Harry's plan will be put into motion and the outcome is quite unexpected.  
**


	4. The Potions Master's Quarters

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**_  
_

_Unexpected Family_

_Chapter 3_

_The Potions Master's Quarters_

Two nights later, Harry found himself at dinner in the Great Hall, picking absentmindedly at his chicken casserole. He barely listened to Ron and Hermione as they chattered about how far the repairing of Hogwarts had gotten. His gaze was on a certain golden eyed man who had just entered the Hall and was now talking to Headmistress McGonagall at the head table. This was the first time Harry had seen Zachary in the Great Hall and he had assumed that Zachary was eating his meals wherever he was staying. Now, however, with the raven haired man right in front of him, Harry inwardly smirked. It was a perfect start to his plan.

He observed as Minerva nodded at whatever her grandson had told her, her mouth twitching into a half-smile. Zachary bowed his head respectively to her, before turning and walking unhurriedly down the three short steps to the main floor. As he strolled past the Ravenclaw table, where Harry was sitting, he hardly glanced at the green eyed boy watching him. Harry saw that Zachary's eyebrows were furrowed, almost like something was troubling him. Knowing that he had to leave quickly to catch up to Zachary's usually brisk pace, Harry turned back to his friends.

"I think I'll turn in early. It was a long day." He feigned a yawn and pushed back his seat. Ron inclined his head to show that he had heard but neither of his friends offered to join him. Harry left them to finish their conversation and strode out of the Great Hall after the Headmistress' grandson. Once he had gotten through the huge doors, he slowed, reaching into his robe pocket. He found what he was looking for and pulled out a bundle of light, silvery fabric. The invisibility cape. He slipped it over his head and jogged quietly to catch up with Zachary.

Surprisingly, Zachary never sped up from his ambling pace, nor went through any secret passageway. Instead he chose to lead Harry through a maze of staircases and hallways, all of them leading down. By the time the other man finally jogged down a small staircase that led to a closed door, Harry had decided that they were in the school's dungeons. _Funny,_ he thought, _the only things that are in the dungeons are the Potions classroom and Slytherin house entrance._ Zachary rummaged through his pockets for a moment before plucking out what looked like an old metal key. He fitted it into the lock and twisted it, the door's gears whirring as the door unlocked and creaked open. Harry slipped through the open door just as Zachary was turning to close it. He breathed a silent sigh of relief. So far his plan was working.

Knowing that Zachary couldn't see him, Harry moved out of the shadows of the doorway and into a larger room. He gaped in surprise.

The room he was in was quite large but dark, its only lighting the fire that crackled in an enormous hearth. Harry turned away from the heat of the fire and found himself looking at an oak desk, angled to see both the fireplace and the doorway. Halfway melted candles and papers covered its carved surface. But that wasn't what Harry was staring so intently at. Starting behind the desk, bookcases lined the walls. From floor to ceiling, shelves had been built to accommodate the many books that rested on them. Though most of the volumes looked old and worn, they were well-preserved and Harry could tell that their owner had cared for them well. He stepped closer to have a look at some of the titles. To his surprise, not all of them were books on magic. Even Muggle books, classical stories such as _The Odyssey…Romeo and Juliet…War and Peace. _They were all there.

Harry shook his head, trying to rid himself of his awe. His eyes rested on the couch and armchairs that were placed around the fire, and the man that had just sat down in one. Zachary rested his head on the plush headrest of the armchair he was seated in and exhaled heavily. Harry didn't move from his spot by the desk but Zachary seemed to hear something, his head jerking up. Though he was invisible, Harry found himself holding his breath as the other man abruptly stood and approached one of the bookcases near Harry. His eyes, illuminated in the fire's light, scanned the shelves slowly, and carefully picked a small book out. Harry strained to read the title but Zachary had already opened the book. He blew on it and a small dust cloud rose up, revealing the title page underneath. It was a book on advanced potions.

Harry froze. His mind worked. If the books had accumulated that much dust, then the owner hadn't cared for them in over a few months. Realization hit him in an instant. This was probably the Potions Master's living quarters. And that would make these books _Severus Snape's_. In front of him, Zachary smiled faintly as he read a page of the book. Harry again tried to move close, in hopes of glimpsing the book over Zachary's shoulder but the other man took a step backwards. With his head still bowed over the book, he returned to the armchair, settling into it. Harry didn't dare follow.

Instead he looked for another door, one that would lead to the rest of the rooms. Except, there was no other doorway. Harry laughed to himself, deciding to give up on his search. The door must be disguised as something and he wasn't going to go looking for it. He crept over to the desk, running his finger along the fine carvings. His eyes rested on the stacks of papers, now revealed to be school papers and written notes. These were less dusty than the rest of the room and Harry guessed that Professor Slughorn must have come to this room once or twice, though he obviously didn't live here. He most likely slept in the Professor's wing, with the other Hogwarts' teachers who weren't Heads of the Four Houses. Then why was the Headmistress' grandson in here? Had he known Snape?

Harry was jolted out of his train of thought by movement out of the corner of his eye. He jumped in surprise. A small metal lion paced across a portion of the desk, almost like it was guarding the parchments strewn across it. It must have had a spell placed on it to make it animated. His curiosity getting the better of him, Harry reached out and gingerly picked the lion up. A strange but familiar feeling coursed through him and alarm coursed through his body as his vision narrowed and blurred.

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When his eyes cleared a moment later, he found himself seated at a table in Hogwarts' library. Sun shone through the windows lining the walls, revealing that it was around midday. Here and there, students wandered through the numerous bookshelves. Harry pondered if he was in another person's memory. The transfer had felt the same as when he used the pensieve. He had heard about some wizards being able to attach memories to objects, instead of needing a pensieve. Confused, he turned to the person sitting next to him, only to jump in shock.

Lily Evans sat less than a foot from him. She hadn't noticed him yet and Harry took the time to study her. She was young, maybe a year or two younger than he was, and was bent over a large book, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Her eyes scanned over the page and Harry leaned in to read with her. He laughed; she was reading the Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook. He had read through it a few summers back and knew exactly what she was reading about—how to form a Patronus. Unexpectedly, Lily's eyes flicked up and she looked right at Harry. He started to apologize but remembered that she couldn't see him. She must be looking _through_ him at someone approaching. A smile lit up her face and he turned around, expecting James to be there. Instead his eyes rested on a familiar, yet unfamiliar face.

The boy strolling up to them was tall and thin, about the same age as Lily. His long robes were a dark black and a Prefect's badge was pinned to his front pocket. His left arm was full of books while long, slender fingers gripped an oaken wand in his right. Harry's eyebrows rose even more as he looked at the young man's face. He had a pale complexion, though not a sickly pale, even more intensified by his long black hair, which fell softly down to his shoulders. His nose was straight, not hooked like Harry remembered. But most startling of all were his black eyes, now glimmering with anger. The boy before him was Severus Snape himself.

"Hard day, was it Sev?" Lily asked as Severus settled himself down on her left.

His eyebrow arched at her sarcastic tone but his expression remained serious, "Yes it was, Potter just won't lay off. He still fancies you, you know."

Lily huffed and rolled her eyes, "No matter how many times I tell that idiot that I don't like him, he still keeps coming back. I just wish he would get some sense, if anything!" They both chuckled at what seemed like an old joke of theirs. Harry became even more confused. If his memory was correct, by now Severus and Lily would have already broken up their friendship.

After sharing a few more light jokes, the two bent over their books, intent on studying for their end of the year exams. Harry grinned, remembering all the times he studied with Hermione and Ron for those tests. But what he saw next made his smile fade.

Lily glanced at Severus out of the corner of her eye, a thoughtful expression on her face. Severus, his face leaning onto his left palm, didn't appear to notice her glances, though he did shift slightly. Her eyes fell on his other hand, which was resting on the chair's armrest before looking back to her book. Harry almost didn't believe his eyes as she hesitantly raised her left arm and slid her hand into his. Severus' dark eyes widened and his gaze shot to Lily. She ignored him, acting as if nothing had happened, though her mouth was twitching. His eyes flashed and a mischievous glint entered their dark depths. Then his fingers laced through Lily's and he stroked the back of her hand. Lily muffled a gasp and Severus' smirk grew but neither glanced at each other. Harry looked between the two, absolutely confused. How could this memory have happened?

Then he felt the strange pull again, and the memory faded away.

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Harry found himself back in the dark room, facing the oak desk. The hand that gripped the lion paperweight was numb and cold and Harry didn't feel his hold on it loosening until it was too late. The lion landed on the desk with a loud thud, making Harry jump and Zachary look up. Harry froze, hoping that Zachary would dismiss the sound, and breathed a sigh of relief when he did. But his relief was short lived.

"Don't think I didn't hear that," Zachary's voice was quiet; "I know you're here. Isn't it a little late to go sniffing around in other people's secrets?" He looked up from his book, straight at where Harry was standing. Icy fear worked its way down Harry's body. Before he could think, his feet moved of their own accord and he was flinging open the door, flying up the staircase, and running in the direction of his own room. He looked back once, only to see if he was being followed and was relieved to see that Zachary hadn't pursued him.

When he finally reached his room, he was sweating and panting hard. His mind reeled. Instead of getting answers, he had only been given more questions. Frustrated, he sank into his bed, his eyes closing immediately. His dreams were fitful and he tossed and turned restlessly.

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The next morning, Harry rolled groggily out of bed, his body tired from his escapade the previous night. He trudged down to breakfast and sank into the seat next to Ron. Hermione's gaze passed over him and she looked concerned.

"You're not having nightmares anymore, are you?" Her tone showed she was genuinely worried. Harry shook his head and piled his plate with food, his stomach growling. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ron doing the same thing. Then he froze, his forkful of eggs halfway to his mouth.

A pair of golden eyes stared back at him. From where he was sitting at the main table, Zachary and Harry could see each other perfectly. The other man's gaze was unreadable but Harry felt uneasy. Besides his presence in the Main Hall, there was one other detail that didn't escape Harry's keen eyes. Zachary was sitting in the chair that had, for more than seven years, been occupied by Snape.

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**Now Harry's even more confused and Zachary is angry. Hope you all liked this chapter. I am still working on the next chapter and I am contemplating on cutting it into two separate ones because it will probably be long.**

**Next: Harry learns Zachary's ultimate secret.  
**

**Please review! I love your opinions!  
**


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